How can citizens of an increasingly globalizing world communicate effectively and work together successfully? This course is designed to help students explore what it means to interact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. They will reflect on their own cultural mores, analyze what comprises intercultural competencies, and develop the knowledge and skills to communicate competently in a global context. They will also examine current theories and communication practices to gain an understanding of how language learning involves not only linguistic dimensions but also cultural dimensions.

Level: UG

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS

Students who have an interest in Japan, but little or no background in Japanese studies, will gain a broad overview of contemporary Japanese society and culture. They will read, watch, listen to, discuss, and write about a variety of materials introducing topics such as Japan's geography, history, customs and events, social structure, religion, family, demographics, regional cultures, minority groups and subcultures, politics, economy, sports, literature and arts. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 1200 or JAPN 1200, as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Cross-listing: JAPN 1200

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS

This course provides an introduction to the popular Indian dance form, Bhangra. Students will learn and perform modern and traditional choreography to Punjabi music. The class will learn a corpus of movements on which Bhangra improvisation and choreography are based. Emphasis will be on North American style modern Bhangra, trends, variations, charisma, facial expression, and lyrical dance. Students will present projects that demonstrate the use of traditional and modern Bhangra movements in their own sequences and participate in a large group performance with the class.

Level: UG

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS, PW_3

Students will examine the emergence of several cinematic phenomena in post-war Japanese and Chinese-language cinemas. They will contextualize the classical period of Japanese cinema and the new waves that occurred respectively in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China, and further investigate the body of works by select Japanese and Chinese-language directors. Students will learn various concepts in film studies as they view films produced in various national, social, cultural, economic, and political contexts. They will also compare and contrast the conventions and styles across different cinemas and directors. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 2120 and ASIA 2120 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 6 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Cross-listing: ASIA 2120

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS

Students will examine Indian culture and society through the medium of popular cinema, ranging from post-1947 Hindi classics to some more recent Bollywood blockbusters. They will investigate the ways in which Indian history and culture are depicted in film, including issues like nation building, gender, caste, nationalism versus regionalism and communalism, and globalization. In doing so, students will explore 'depicted reality' versus 'historical reality', the notion of the family as the symbol of the nation, as well as the relationship between the homeland (desh) and the West or diaspora (pardesh). Students will also compare Indian cinema and several films made by South Asian diasporic filmmakers. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 2252 and ASIA 2252 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 6 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS

Students will deepen their understanding of contemporary Francophone culture and art by viewing and critiquing important Francophone movies, connecting them to the broader Francophone culture, and discussing important themes and cultural references in current popular culture. Seeing movies and reflecting, critiquing, and producing "culture", learners will also analyze works by critics who examine various characteristics of contemporary popular culture as seen in other cultural productions, such as magazines, commercials, music, social media, and fashion. The course will be conducted in English. This course does not serve to fulfill the second language requirement of the Bachelor of Arts degree framework. Note Students may earn credit for only one of FREN 3110 or LANC 3110, as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Attribute: ARTS

Students will examine models of intercultural competence development that are fundamental for developing awareness of intercultural competencies. They will discuss and analyze personal, professional and global settings where cultural boundaries are crossed and identify best practices for effective intercultural relations. Students will also reflect and create a personal plan to develop their knowledge of intercultural competencies.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including one of the following: ANTH 1100, ASIA 1111, ASIA 1131, HIST 1131, LANC 1150, or SOCI 1125

Attribute: ARTS

Students will explore the representation of gender, class and ethnicity in Chinese-language cinema from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. They will also investigate various theoretical debates over politics, nationhood, identity formation, and censorship. In doing so, students will evaluate the issue surrounding the conceptualization of cultural ‘Chinese-ness’. Borrowing examples from both mainstream and independent cinema, students will explore the ways in which the historical, social, and political contexts of the three regions shape and are shaped by film culture. Students will also critically analyze how visual elements and thematic concerns in different films work to characterize, comment, and criticize the shifting identities of and social structures within Chinese-speaking communities. Note: ASIA 2120 is strongly recommended. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of ASIA 3154 or LANC 3154, as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 27 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including 6 credits from courses in ANTH, ASIA, HIST or MAND.

Cross-listing: ASIA 3154

Attribute: ARTS

Students will explore the role and characteristics of business in Japan and the powerful influence of business on contemporary Japanese culture. First, they will follow the development of industry and business in Japan from the beginning of the Edo Period until the end of the Second World War. Then students will examine the remarkable recovery and development of Japan's postwar economy that culminated, in 1980s and 90s, in theories and stereotypes relating to the concept of a unique Japanese business style. Finally, students will examine changes in the Japanese economy since the bursting of Japan's "economic bubble" in the mid 1990s, and the effects of these changes on today's business, society and culture. Students will explore a broad range of topics, from the role of business in Japan's international relations to its effects on the lives of individual Japanese and their environment. NOTE: Students may earn credits for only one of LANC 3310 and ASIA 3310 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Cross-listing: ASIA 3310

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS

Students will deepen their understanding of contemporary Japanese art and culture by viewing significant post-war Japanese movies. They will focus on influential directors and characteristic genres, discuss important themes and cultural references, and connect these movies to the broader Japanese culture. Students will also consider how the increasing success of Japanese animation in foreign markets might contribute to Japan's cultural integration into the global community. NOTE: Students may earn credits for only one of LANC 3320 and ASIA 3320 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Cross-listing: ASIA 3320

Attributes: ASTR, ARTS

Students will acquire an understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and knowledge through the lens of the Indigenous languages in Canada. Students will gain an awareness of the diversity of Indigenous languages across Canada. They will identify the impact of past, current and ongoing colonialism and its consequences for Indigenous languages in Canada. Students will critically examine the major contemporary issues facing Indigenous languages and will investigate examples of community-based language activism across Canada. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of LANC 3390 or LING 3390, as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher

Cross-listing: LING 3390

Attribute: ARTS

Students will deepen their understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures and communities through the study of cultural traditions, values, and norms that are most common to and shared within the Spanish-speaking world. They will examine selected portions of television programs, films, music videos, photographs, advertisements, and figurative language where these traditions, values, and norms are represented. Students will discuss, analyze, and evaluate how these traditions, values, and norms are used to organize behaviours (verbal and non-verbal), expectations, and to structure life within the Spanish-speaking world. Students will also be able to reflect on current and future interactions with Spanish-speaking people and societies. The course is taught in English and prior knowledge of Spanish is not required. Note: Students may earn credits for only one of SPAN 3450 or LANC 3450 as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 30 credits from courses at the 1100-level or higher

Cross-listing: SPAN 3450

Attribute: ARTS

Students will critically analyze the diversity and changing forms of folklore and folk customs in South Asia. They will look at how and why folklore impacts the culture and the everyday lives of people in South Asia. Students will critically examine the various genres of folklore, including narrative, oral, and customary genres. They will also look at performance traditions, including music and dance, as well as folk life, including folk art and crafts. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of ASIA 3860 or LANC 3860, as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 27 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including 6 credits from ANTH, ASIA, HIST, LANC or PUNJ

Cross-listing: ASIA 3860

Attribute: ARTS

Students will critically examine the origins and development of Bhangra within Punjab and the Indian subcontinent as well as its adaptations and hybrid forms within the Punjabi diaspora, in North America and Europe. Students will critically analyze the development of Bhangra from a popular folk dance and music style within Punjab to its modern day status within the diaspora as a largely hybrid music incorporating Punjabi folk music with modern Western music traditions. Students will also analyze the role of Bhangra in the formation of identity for members of the South Asian diaspora. Note: Students may earn credit for only one of ASIA 3870 or LANC 3870, as they are identical courses.

Level: UG

Prerequisite(s): 27 credits from courses at the 1100 level or higher, including 6 credits from ANTH, ASIA, HIST, LANC or PUNJ

Attribute: ARTS